PSU Women’s Ice Hockey voted 10th in ECAC East preseason poll

Oct 29, 2013

Panthers looking to move up in conference standings

CENTERVILLE, Mass. – The Plymouth State University women's ice hockey team was picked to finish 10th in Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Women's East race in 2013-14 in a vote of the league's head coaches.

After capturing its fourth conference title in the last five years, Norwich University was voted the preseason favorite in the ECAC Women's East. The Cadets garnered 143 out of a possible 144 points in the poll, receiving first-place votes on all but one ballot. Saint Anselm College was picked to finish second in the poll, with ECAC Women's East Tournament runner-up Manhattanville College in the third spot. PSU was voted 10th, ahead of Saint Michael's College and Nichols College.

The Panthers will be looking to move up in the standings under head coach Ashley Kilstein after placing 10th a year ago and securing a conference play-off berth for the first time in the program's history. PSU was knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by Norwich, 6-0. Plymouth State wound up the season with a 5-17-4 overall record, the most wins in the seven-year history of the program, along with a 4-10-4 mark in the ECAC Women's East to claim its first post-season berth.

The Panthers will play a 25-game regular season schedule, including 18 conference games. The ECAC Women's East Tournament is set to begin on Saturday, Feb. 22, and will include the top eight teams. The title game is Saturday, March 8, and the champion will receive an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament.